Richard Jefferson’s profile is quickly rising at ESPN, but even he is not immune to the occasional howler.
The retired ex-NBA forward was speaking Wednesday on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” ahead of the network’s broadcast of the New York Knicks-Dallas Mavericks game. While previewing the matchup, Jefferson made a pretty rough mistake. He said that he was looking forward to seeing the likes of big men Dereck Lively II and Isaiah Hartenstein.
"I wanna see Hartenstein"
–– Richard Jefferson before Knicks game pic.twitter.com/DxnWdoGLSz
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 28, 2024
Unfortunately for Jefferson, Hartenstein is no longer on the Knicks. He signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the summer in what was a decently high-profile move within NBA circles.
That doozy aside though, the 44-year-old Jefferson is doing very well for himself at ESPN. He is a well-regarded analyst who often appears on their studio shows, has already featured as a color commentator on ESPN’s No. 2 NBA broadcast team, and recently got selected to call this season’s NBA Cup championship game alongside veterans Mike Breen and Doris Burke. But in forgetting his NBA rosters, Jefferson looked a bit like his colleague Stephen A. Smith there.
